Wednesday, August 17, 2016

GAIRO District Executive Director (DED) Agnes
Mkandya broke down into tears yesterday following intensive grilling by members
of the Parliamentary Local Authorities’ Accounts Committee (LAAC) on
embezzlement of funds in the district council. Ms Mkandya found herself in hot
soup when responding to questions from parliamentarians and started crying,
wiping her eyes with a handkerchief, prompting the Chairperson of the
committee, Mr Vedasto Ngombale (Kilwa North-CUF), to calm her down. It all
started when Special Seats MP Ms Leah Komanya (CCM) started grilling the DED on
the alleged misuse of funds in the district council to which Ms Mkandya
admitted misuse, explaining further that she had sacked nine heads of departments
due to the rip-off. As the DED continued sobbing, the Chairman of the
Parliamentary Committee tasked the district council’s Head of Internal Audit to
shed light on the misappropriation. However, he said they could not answer all
questions since they had just been handed over to the office in a short period.
Unsatisfied by the response, Mr Ngombale asked the Morogoro Regional
Administrative Secretary, Dr John Ndunguru, to respond to the allegations but
he, too, was quick to explain that many of officials in the district were new
in office and thus not aware of earlier undertakings. Earlier, Ms Komanya had
pointed out what she described as massive embezzlement in Gairo District
Council, accusing officials of siphoning revenues collected in the local
government authority through the use of ‘carbon slips.’ In response, the DED
said the use of ‘carbon slips’ to cheat the authority on revenues had been
detected where one of officials was nabbed, noting further that the authority
was now working to install Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs) to collect
revenues.

Gairo District Executive Director (DED) Agnes
Mkandya

Ms Mkandya explained further that the district council had contracted
the Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL) to connect Gairo
District Council to the national fibre optic to link the electronic revenue
collectors. In another development, the parliamentary committee directed the
Gairo District Council to dish in the next six months all funds that should
have been granted for youth and women economic empowerment funds during the financial
year 2013/2014. During the financial year under review, the local authority was
supposed to dish out 13.4m/- and 14.4m/- for women and youth empowerment funds,
respectively as well as 24m/- that was meant for villages and streets. ''We
direct that the funds in question should be paid in the next six months, we as
well urge the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local
Governments) to see into it that a total of 254m/- owed to Gairo by Kilosa
District council is paid during the current financial year,” he instructed. Speaking
earlier, the Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee, Mr Abdallah
Chikota (Nanyamba-CCM), warned officials at the district council against
cheating, explaining that the committee summoned them due to shortcomings on
their financial records. Meanwhile, Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee
(PAC) has directed the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) and the government
assets administrator to investigate the 12.5bn/- spent on constructing the
Dodoma Regional Commissioner's Office. The order was issued here yesterday by
PAC Sitting Chairman Mr Japheth Hasunga, shortly after chairing a meeting with
the regional secretariat. Mr Hasunga (Vwawa-CCM) said the committee wants to
verify the value for money on the structure whose construction is ongoing. "CAG
and the state property administrator should investigate if the structure and
furniture match with the money already spent," he said. The committee also
tasked the administrator to undertake a special inspection on state properties
especially cars (working, defected, or sold). It has called on the regional
accounting officer to actively manage the accounts department to meet
international standards during the preparation of financial statements to avoid
flaws in audit reports. "The accounting officer must from now on submit a
written report explaining how 665.3m/- was obtained and spent before the end of
the day tomorrow," the chairman ordered.

PRESIDENT John Magufuli yesterday visited the Speaker of the
National Assembly, Mr Job Ndugai and former Union First Vice-President and
Prime Minister John Malecela at their residences where they are recuperating
following medical treatment. Flanked by the First Lady, Janeth Magufuli, the
president wished the duo quick recovery so that they could proceed with their
normal duties and responsibilities of building the nation. Mr Ndugai thanked Dr
Magufuli for visiting him and enquiring about his condition. He further thanked
him for closely monitoring his health status when he was receiving treatment in
India. The National Assembly Speaker came back home recently from India where
he was receiving treatment. “I have been very much comforted …and I want to
state clearly that since I fell sick, I have been receiving telephone calls from
the head of state inquiring about my health condition. Today he has paid me a
visit on behalf of all Tanzanians… I want to thank him and pray that he
continues with his kind heart in visiting people who are facing various problems,’’
he remarked. Mr Ndugai assured Tanzanians that his health was responding well
to treatment, adding that he was now capable of discharging part of his duties,
asking Tanzanians to continue praying for him. Mr Malecela also thanked the
president and Mama Janeth for visiting him, adding that he was doing fine. He
expressed gratitude to the team of doctors who were treating him. “My health is
improving to a large extent. I want to thank you and Mama Magufuli for visiting
me at my residence,’’ added Mr Malecela.

ABOUT 87 people who purchased houses at the Kijichi Project
of National Social Security Fund (NSSF) have rushed to the High Court’s Land
Division to seek orders relating to breach of contract terms and oppose
eviction from their premises. Through legal services of Advocate Benito
Mandele, the residents have lodged two cases, one relating to temporary
injunctions against the NSSF Board of Trustees and Majembe Auction Mart, who
are alleged to have issued the notice for eviction. The other case relate to
the main suit under which the residents are seeking several reliefs, including
review of contract terms of the houses, setting clear obligations of each
party, review of proper price of the houses and for orders requiring the NSSF
to refurbish the houses to make them fit for habitation. Parties to the case,
except Majembe Auction Mart, appeared before Judge Penterine Kente, where the
two cases were mentioned. The judge directed that the hearing of the
application under which the residents are seeking orders of maintenance of
status quo should be heard on August 24. In the meantime, the judge has ordered
Advocate Mandele to ensure Majembe Auction Mart are served with court documents
and appear on the hearing date and that Advocate Opio Marcels for the NSSF,
should file his counter affidavit in reaction to the application before the set
hearing date. The residents are claiming that they purchased their respective
houses from the NSSF at its project executed at Kijichi area, Kigamboni in
Temeke District on credit basis at a cost ranging between 105m/- to 130m/-
payable for 15 years. Such repayments attract interests of 11.44 per cent per
annum. It is alleged, however, that upon occupying the houses in question, the
residents found them in sub-standard and unfit for human habitation. The
residents claim that NSSF breached its contractual obligations of making sure
that all necessary basic social services were available. As a result, the
residents allegedly wrote to NSSF for intervention on several occasions, but no
response was forthcoming. The residents, thereafter, decided to incur their own
expenses to make different renovations and procurement of essential services
like water, electricity and other infrastructures. It was at that point in time
when the residents stopped servicing the loan for the houses, a move that
aggrieved the NSSF, who in turn instructed Majembe Auction Mart to implement
the eviction. Since there was a provision under the contract that in case of
any dispute that could arise between the parties, they shall first take the
dispute to the Tanzania Institute of Arbitrators before resorting to court
action. It is stated that the residents petitioned the institute in an attempt
to resolve the dispute. But the NSSF are alleged to have avoided appearing
before such a quasi-judicial body. The residents had no other option, than
taking the matter before the court of law for determination.

AWARD 1

I won the second prize in policy category of the African Information society Initiative ( AISI) awards 2004 which is annually organized by the United Nations- Economic Commission for Africa ( UNECA) based in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia. On the first photo above standing with other awardees after the Ceremony at the National Settlers monument in Grahamstown, South Africa.This was during the 8th Highway Africa Conference.The second photo shows the cross section of Jounalists from different African countries who attended the ceremony.

AWARD 2

I also won the AISI-GKP/SDC Media Award special reporting on WSIS process and Africa, and conferred with the award in Tunis, Tunisia during WSIS summit in 2005. See the photo above.

AWARD 3

Winner on the Media Competition on writing about " Stigma denial and Discrimination" associated with HIV/AIDS. This was organized by theAssociation of Journalists Against Aids in Tanzania ( AJAAT). On the Photo above President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania, ( then the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation) was the guest of honour during the award giving ceremony.This was at Maelezo auditorium in Dar-es-Salaam September 2005.

AWARD 4

Winner on the Media Competition on writing about "Vulnerable Children" associated with HIV/AIDS This was organized by the Association of Journalists Against Aids in Tanzania ( AJAAT)

AWARD 5

Winner of the National ICT Media Award organized By SWOPNET in the Country. On the photo above Morogoro Regional Commissioner, Brigadier General ( Rt) Saidi Kalembo was the guest of honour during the award giving ceremony which was held at New Sarvoy Hotel in morogoro town.I was awarded a Mobile phone and a tape-recorder.

AWARD 6

I participated in the Media Competition in writing about VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) in Tanzania which was held between July 15th and October 30th 2008 whereby I emerged among the top five winners. The competition was under the program known as “Tanzania bila Ukwimwi inawezekana” which literally means, Tanzania without AIDS disease transmission is possible”. This is a program which was organizedby the Association of Journalists Against AIDS in Tanzania (AJAAT) under TACAIDS funding. In the photo, I am being presented with a certificate of participation by the Chairman of the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) Dr. Fatma Mrisho in a colorful ceremony which was held on 22nd December 2008 at Tanzania Information Centre in Dar es Salaam.

AWARD 7

AWARD 8

AWARD 9

I was among the top 17 best selected students who excelled in their final examinations of the 2010/2011 academic year and awarded with the Vice-Chancellor’s prize. I scored 4.5 GPA (First Class) in BA in Journalism. Above I am being given a certificate by the Chairman of the Open University of Tanzania Board of Senate. Standing at the centre facing camera is the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tolly Mbwette. Extreme left partly hidden is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Elifas Bisanda. This occasion took place during the convocation meeting, a day before the graduation day at the prospective permanent headquarter of the Open University of Tanzania which is currently under construction at Bungo-Kibaha in Coast region 40 kilometers away west of Dar es Salaam city.